redid the snake room

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Originally Posted by piranhaking

Yea, the holes in glass one was out of line, I appoligize for that. I know its a screen top because ive discussed the tank with her before. Frankly, I was (and still am) a little bothered with the way the husbandry issues were brought up though, which is why my post was rather heated. But, an uncontroled heat pad (which may or may not be perfectly fine in the first place, only a temp reading can tell us for sure) is completely different than "no heat source what so ever", and the holes are pretty easy to see i think. I had NO problem seeing them in the second pic and the pic for the other tub isnt clear enough in my book to tell, so maybe a legit argument there, but the post does say that there are holes. I also have to agree the humidity is to high in that pic, but provided it is checked (as she says it is) that should show it self very soon and the problem corrected. The cover was new at the time of the pics, and when adjusting set ups chages do have to be made, as conditions adjust. I do agree with using tape to help control humitity with screen tops, but, there is often more than one right way to achieve the same proper result. I do think it would be good for hot and cool side temps, and humity to be posted here, just for the sake of having the info and not having to assume anything.

I would still like to know your view about the water bowls off to the side part.

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Only thing I disagree with is in bold.

I have a hard time believing an uncontrolled heat pad puts the temperature in the right range. I've used several tub/aquarium setups and several brands of heat pads, and all of the pads would go up well past 100 degrees without a thermostat.

I suppose with the right amount of padding in between the heat pad and the tank, and some crazy adjustments, and a heat pad that doesnt vary, you might ? :eek: ? manage to get it with in the appropriate range, but that seems like a rather large stretch :).

That being said, we have to make efforts when giving suggestions/correcting peoples setups, as we almost never have all of the information from a few pictures. (example, hard to see holes, cords hidden away, etc)

example:

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So how come you dont have anyone's homes set up properly?

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I don't see the heating setup in those pictures, are you providing a hot spot on one side controlled with a thermostat? Also your one tub doesn't seem to have two hides, is there a reason for this? Additionally you may want to invest in a temp gun as it allows quicker/more accurate reading of both sides of the enclosure

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Is much more helpful.

I'm not meaning to point fingers, it is just important to realize that tone/inflection/meaning are lost on the internet when someone doesn't know you, and all they have to read are your words.

yeah, the cloth was moved over the holes in the tank for the picture, it is a screen top, and i have part of it covered by tinfoil, which is where the cloth is on top of it, and the rest is open, so the humidity doesnt get too high. The only thing i can see myself guilty of is not enough hides. I went to the herp store on my way home tonight, but they changed their hours, so they were closed :(

Audrey: I understand that you want to help, but it was quite rude how you went about it. If you were trying to give me advice, then give me advice, not just critisizing, and coming back and saying what you had to say after everybody was in a huff. My snakes are happy and healthy. Always get fed on time, always shed in one piece, temperatures are dead on, humidity is increased when they are going to shed, they are perfectly healthy. I am missing a hide, thats it. A little less critizism without knowing what you are talking about would have really been nice. piranhaking is a great friend of mine, we talk for hours and hours a day, you really didnt have to jump the gun with him either.

My heating pads are a few months old, and they have always been at great temperatures, i check twice a day, so i dont have a dimmer or anything on there, as soon as i see the temperatures starting to vary, or them getting to hot, ill go ahead and get a thermostat or a dimmer, most likely a thermostat, i have heard better things about those.

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Originally Posted by Amy1217

My heating pads are a few months old, and they have always been at great temperatures, i check twice a day, so i dont have a dimmer or anything on there, as soon as i see the temperatures starting to vary, or them getting to hot, ill go ahead and get a thermostat or a dimmer, most likely a thermostat, i have heard better things about those.

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Not trying to be rude, but IMO it's better to be safe than sorry. I would suggest getting a thermostat as soon as possible. If cost is an issue, i'm sure with a little searching on this site, you can find suggestions for an inexpensive reliable thermostat or rheostat.

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Originally Posted by Amy1217

My heating pads are a few months old, and they have always been at great temperatures, i check twice a day, so i dont have a dimmer or anything on there, as soon as i see the temperatures starting to vary, or them getting to hot, ill go ahead and get a thermostat or a dimmer, most likely a thermostat, i have heard better things about those.

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Going to disagree there. An UTH heats up to 110ºF no problem. Max that I've seen is 130ºF with a Zoo Med (room temp. was 80-82, though). If you don't have a ton of barriers (just the bottom of the tank and substrate will NOT do), it can and does get hot enough to burn. I suggest getting a thermostat, such as a Johnsons or Ranco, or even a Helix/Herpstat, because without them, it is very possible for your snake(s) to get burned.

Edit: Also, how are you taking the temperatures? Is it a digital thermometer? Are you measuring at the top of the substrate or down on the glass/plastic? If it's not digital and is being measured on the top of the substrate, I can almost guarantee that it's an inaccurate reading.

That is what most people say, but like i said, i check them twice a day, and am careful about it, and Home Depot is about a 2 minute drive with traffic. lol. They have stayed at the same temperatures perfectly for months now, i dont see a reason to change something that isnt broken, buttt i am prepared to in a minutes notice if something looks finicky!

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Originally Posted by RockSolid

Not trying to be rude, but IMO it's better to be safe than sorry. I would suggest getting a thermostat as soon as possible. If cost is an issue, i'm sure with a little searching on this site, you can find suggestions for an inexpensive reliable thermostat or rheostat.

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How are you measuring the temps twice a day? Also, are you sure there is no fluctuation in the temps when you aren't measuring the temps? I use a thermometer that has a min/max memory so I can check to see what the temps have been when I am not looking at the thermometer and the thermometer is in the enclosure 24/7. We're just trying to help you with keeping your snakes healthy, but if you want to go with "why fix something that isn't broken" well then good luck to ya.

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

Only thing I disagree with is in bold.

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The only reason i say that is the pads i was using to begin with were running right at 90 (i forget exactly, but 90-92) with just enough substrate to cover the bottom. That was too hot for me because ive got corns, so i ended up going with a cable and using it for all the tanks, so i could use one dimmer. That being said, I know that in most cases ive read the heat pads were to much and did need to be backed off some. I made several changes in that post before i left it alone and one of them was adding the part that only a temp reading would tell us for sure if it was ok or not, because i know most pads are known for being too hot.

I also see what your saying about people comming across wrong but when comments like "instead of being nice and getting nowhere i get to the point" (not meant to be a direct quote in any way so dont take it to be) are made, it seems to me that the tone that come across is exactly what they meant.

I'll admit i was ranting when i started in this thread, and maybe i should have waited a while before i said anything, but I cant edit that now. I am glad this thread hasnt resorted to negative points like some disagreements lately have, and I applaud all participating for that. I also look forward to hearing back from everone else thats participating in this thread so we can get this settled down to a civil discussion like things should be (aiming that one at myself as much as anything)

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Originally Posted by RockSolid

How are you measuring the temps twice a day? Also, are you sure there is no fluctuation in the temps when you aren't measuring the temps? I use a thermometer that has a min/max memory so I can check to see what the temps have been when I am not looking at the thermometer and the thermometer is in the enclosure 24/7. We're just trying to help you with keeping your snakes healthy, but if you want to go with "why fix something that isn't broken" well then good luck to ya.

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i mean that just in context with the thermostat. I check the temps in the mornings before i leave, when i get home, and then if i can feel a diffrence in the outside air, then ill check it again at night. I understand you all are trying to help. I just havn't had a problem with temps. I keep my room at a good temp to accomidate the snakes....The weather is starting to get colder though, so i think im going to get some thermostats...

I guess I am more curious than anything. What type of heat pad are you using?

I could see a heat pad designed specifically for BP's would hit the right temps, but most are universal and allow higher temps (100ish) in order to account for other reptiles.

If the manufacturer says it will stay at 90ish degrees, then that's nifty. If they say it varies, then waiting until you notice a problem could be too late. (IE you measure in the am, for some reason it heats up to its max temp, you check in the pm and the snake has been subjected to super high temps all day).

I think most people are pushing the thermostat/dimmer so hard because we all would rather err on the side of caution, rather than trusting a mass produced item that can fail. (note the irony, because the thermostat can fail too :)